Our Contractor, Chris

Chris Hamlin is quite possibly the nicest person I have ever done business with. About eight years ago, my wife and I were introduced to Chris by Rod McAdams, a Realtor I have worked with quite a bit over the years. Rod had recommended Chris highly and told us that he would be a good choice for our remodeling job.

As it turns out, we spoke with Chris and didn’t even bother to talk with another contractor. Yes, I know that this is probably not the typical way for a consumer to make a good choice. From what we are led to believe, this same behavior is what caused the entire economy to collapse. Or maybe choosing the wrong Loan Officer is what caused the economy to collapse – I tend to get these details all confused these days. All I know is that after talking with Chris we didn’t need to talk with anyone else – he was the right contractor for our job and for our family.

I can’t recall ever seeing Chris in a bad mood throughout the entire time that I have known him. When a couple of neighbors decided to make a fuss about the remodel on the very last day they could do so, Chris just smiled and helped us with arbitration through the city. We were fairly stressed out at the time after spending a good portion of time and money obtaining permits, putting together plans etc. It was a relief to have someone we could rely upon to give us good counsel and resources. Later, when it turned out our oil tank had to be decommissioned and that the extent of the contamination was somewhere between the Exxon Valdez spill and Chernobyl, Chris helped us line up a company to handle the mess. All the while, we laughed, shared stories and the remodel took shape.

I also learned recently that our dog Riley had a habit of stealing the lunches that Chris and his crew brought to our house. He never complained and was just as upset as the rest of my family when Riley recently was put to sleep. Chris did an outstanding job with our remodel and has stood by his work even several years after the completion of the project. My wife and I have recommended him to family, friends, clients and strangers alike. I don’t hear many people say that they miss having their contractor in their house but that is exactly how JJ and I feel about Chris – it’s a blessing to have him as part of our lives.

During one of the inspections for our house during the course of the remodel Chris and the inspector couldn’t figure out what was making a mysterious beeping noise. It wasn’t an alarm, it wasn’t one of the furnace vents, it wasn’t a smoke detector but it was persistent and would intermittently start and then stop. As the inspection went on, Chris and the inspector realized the only constant was our dog Riley. As labs are wont to do, she would happily follow them from room to room occasionally catching their eye and then wagging her tail like a squirrel with Tourette’s syndrome. It was around Easter at the time and eventually Chris realized the sound was coming from Riley’s mouth – she had taken one of the Easter toys that chirp when you put it in your hand and had it in her mouth. Apparently she would smile when she got their attention and that was enough to set the toy off. What inspector could possibly restrain themselves from signing off everything at that point? I still laugh thinking about how utterly hilarious that must have been for contractor and inspector alike.

I can only hope that in my business that I can be half as gracious and kind as Chris had been to my family and I over the years. If you or someone you care about is looking for help with a mortgage, I am happy to help. If you are looking at doing a remodel or building a new home, I have a feeling that Chris may just be the perfect contractor for you too. His number is (503) 970-3877 and after talking with him, you may decide not to call anyone else either.